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Nationwide Fiber Optic Science Network

zCyl writes "An article at SMH describes a large fiber optic network called the National LambdaRail, which has completed 1,084 out of a planned 16,000 kilometers between major universities and research institutions. Upon completion it should transmit 400 Gbps and stretch across the continental U.S. Access to the network will be intentionally restricted to scientists and researchers only 'for research and experimentation in networking technologies and applications'."

129 comments

  1. And once it goes commercial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Half that bandwidth will be used by spammers.

    1. Re:And once it goes commercial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the other half for pr0n

    2. Re:And once it goes commercial by Rxke · · Score: 1

      The other half to beta-test Duke Nukem Forever- the Network Game

  2. Spam by The+Snowman · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I wonder how long it will take for spammers to find a way into this network...

    --
    24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day. Coincidence? I think not!
    1. Re:Spam by skaffen42 · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Nah, my bet is on pr0n to make it there first... you kow how things go when working late into the night. :)

      --
      People couldn't type. We realized: Death would eventually take care of this.
    2. Re:Spam by thedillybar · · Score: 1

      I would anticipate machines being on both networks (this fiber-optic one and the Internet). Once the machine is comprimised from the Internet side, it could basically act as a gateway from the Internet to the fiber-optic.

      However, I wouldn't anticipate any kind of e-mail appearing very soon on this fiber optic network, so we have yet to see whether or not a spammer would even want on it.

    3. Re:Spam by pdbaby · · Score: 1
      I wouldn't anticipate any kind of e-mail appearing very soon on this fiber optic network, so we have yet to see whether or not a spammer would even want on it.
      Pardon, but are you kidding? Think of all those people doing PhDs! "Get your degree from the university of spammersville". It's perfect! Cut out 5 years of research on a 400Gbps network, get your PhD and go home to your 56k... ah. Maybe not.
      --
      Global symbol "$deity" requires explicit package name at line 2. - If only $scripture started "use strict;"
  3. Judging by the internet's progress... by musingmelpomene · · Score: 0, Redundant

    That means it should filter down to the common man in...oh, say 20 years or so. VIRTUAL PARTY AT MY HOUSE IN 2023!!!!!!

    1. Re:Judging by the internet's progress... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      VIRTUAL PARTY AT MY HOUSE IN 2023!!!!!!

      Shouldn't you be asking your parents first? They may not appreciate having their basement slashdotted in 20 years.

  4. Damn Scientists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They dont need 400GBPS. They're too old to like p0rn :P

    1. Re:Damn Scientists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Goes to show with that -1, flamebait that the mods of slashdot are against knowledge.

    2. Re:Damn Scientists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who's going to invent Ultra-porn if not the scientists?

  5. i remember when... by grosa · · Score: 1

    this was called Internet2

    1. Re:i remember when... by PSL · · Score: 1

      This isn't Internet2 www.internet2.org != www.nationallambdarail.org

      --

      "Times may change, but standards must remain the same." - George Carlin.
  6. Hasn't this been done already? by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Linking up universities and research centers with high-speed data communications. That has a real deja-ecoute sound to it.

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    1. Re:Hasn't this been done already? by xactoguy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And hopefully as with the original network, eventually it will branch out and become part of our daily lives. Perhaps this is the beginning of fiber actually being a viable option for net access for citizens, seeing as the costs otherwise have so far been prohibative to deploying a network.

      --


      And so we go, on with our lives
      We know the truth, but prefer lies
      Lies are simple, simple is bliss
    2. Re:Hasn't this been done already? by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

      And just think: the first time this was done, the backbone was 56kbps.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  7. You know what that means ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... that will be DR. First Post to you!

    (Yeah, I know this isn't the first post. But when I get that lambda connection ...)

  8. Troll perhaps... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 0

    ..But quite funny none the less! I wish we had had these kinds of tools at my last job!

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
    1. Re:Troll perhaps... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The sad thing is that half of their tools don't even work.

    2. Re:Troll perhaps... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only one that doesn't work is the browsing tool, which is coming back online soon.

    3. Re:Troll perhaps... by PHoliday · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      These kind of tools are EVERYWHERE.

      Oh... you weren't talking about the people, were you?

    4. Re:Troll perhaps... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the bait and switch mirror tool doesn't work either, so the grandparent is correct

  9. I wonder by IANAL(BIAILS) · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Any plans to string a few lines up to Canada and connect our institutions up here?

    1. Re:I wonder by SugoiMonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

      Maybe after we invade you.

    2. Re:I wonder by bj8rn · · Score: 2, Funny

      Tell me again, what's the name of this piece of land between Alaska and the rest of the States? There should be an oil pipeline running from Alaska through Canada. And the state of Alaska is asking for money (billions of dollars) to build a gas pipeline, too. If you ask me, it would be a great idea for you to invade Canada in order to avoid any instability in the region (think Quebec) ;7

      And as far as I know, they do drill oil and gas up there somewhere...

      </sarcasm>

      --
      Hell is not other people; it is yourself. - Ludwig Wittgenstein
    3. Re:I wonder by jjeffries · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, and it's also scheduled to be connected to South America's National LambadaRail, aka "the forbidden network."

    4. Re:I wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe you forgot your beginning sarcasm tag. This is fine for non W3C compliant browsers, but others will be immediately redirected to the most closely related commercial site (thank you verisign).

    5. Re:I wonder by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

      That didn't work so well the last time, now did it?

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    6. Re:I wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      great, now we have to give US a reason to invade us before getting fiber.

      i'm looking forward to it!

    7. Re:I wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. No plans.

    8. Re:I wonder by SEE · · Score: 1

      They don't have any oil

      Well, except for the vast reserves in Alberta.

    9. Re:I wonder by caudron · · Score: 1

      um..the term is "liberate", dude, not "invade". I mean, seriously, who doesn't consider Celine Dion a Weapon of Mass Destruction?!?

      -Tom

      --
      -Tom
  10. Grid Computing on Steroids by pbug · · Score: 1

    This is just one of the uses I can see for such a system. But being the way humans are since we have more bandwidth will use more bandwidth. We will never have the enough bandwidth to satisfy our needs. Because we will always find a use to the increase of bandwidth.

  11. How would you use that? by paul248 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    What kind of equipment can actually handle data at those speeds? 50GB/sec is several times faster than even the fastest DDR ram... Is the networking equipment able to run so much faster because it's specialized to do one task?

    1. Re:How would you use that? by meta-monkey · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Somebody moderated this Interesting? Jesus.

      You're not going to get 50GB/sec from one node to another. it's from one network to another. PCI-X 533 (the next gen PCI-X) can only do 4.3GB/s. However, if you want to connect a cluster of, say, a dozen nodes with PCI-X 533 to another dozen nodes with PCI-X 533 across the country...

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    2. Re:How would you use that? by penguinoid · · Score: 1

      I suppose that several computers will connect to a single computer in charge of transmitting the traffic. I suppose the speciallized computer could transmit at that speed, but perhaps they put in extra for the future.

      --
      Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    3. Re:How would you use that? by div_2n · · Score: 3, Interesting

      One Cisco 12000 router can easliy move 320Gbps of data. As another poster noted, this kind of capacity is meant to handle many nodes at full speed.

    4. Re:How would you use that? by zcat_NZ · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's part of the research; designing equipment that can forward, filter, prioritise, and route traffic at that kind of bandwidth.

      --
      455fe10422ca29c4933f95052b792ab2
    5. Re:How would you use that? by Arch_dude · · Score: 2, Informative

      Nope. A Cisco 12000 has 16 ports of 10Gbps. It receives 160Gbps, and transmits 160Gbps, so it "can move" only 160Gbps. Cisco calls this "320Gbps." the internet industry calls this "Cisco math." A Juniper T540 has 32 lines of 10Gbps, so it can actually "move" 320Gbps. A big Avici router can do better.

    6. Re:How would you use that? by div_2n · · Score: 1

      http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps1 67/index.html

      Argue with Cisco and not me.

    7. Re:How would you use that? by tcyun · · Score: 1

      There are folks who are pushing into this space today. Yes, the equipment might not be there at the moment, but we are not far away. If you take parallelism into account, these data rates are actually quite achievable.

      A list of folks doing work in this space. Examples via the RENs (research and education network) web pages:
      http://apps.internet2.edu/showcase-archive .html
      http://www.canarie.ca/press/publications/re search_ horizons.pdf
      http://archive.dante.net/geant/geant -publicity.htm l#SHDTdemo

      Examples from researchers:
      http://lhcb-comp.web.cern.ch/lhcb-co mp/ComputingMo del/grid/sloken.ppt
      http://www.google.com/search? hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe =UTF-8&q=ska+astronomy+data+rates+gbps&btnG=Google +Search

      Lots of other examples exist.

    8. Re:How would you use that? by 24-bit+Voxel · · Score: 1
      Wow, 4.3 GB/sec. Just enough to download an entire DVD in 1 second. This is probably what the MPAA has foreseen.

    9. Re:How would you use that? by lonb · · Score: 1

      "The dark side clouds all." - Yoda

      --
      "Ain't I a stinka..." - Bugs
  12. In the spirit of public service... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I volunteer my computer to be a test node on the new system.

    1. Re:In the spirit of public service... by Nazmun · · Score: 1

      It would have to be for public service as you only have access to boring University servers and nodes... NOT the internet as this is a separate network.

      --
      Hmmm... Pie...
    2. Re:In the spirit of public service... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're boring. Go back to your X-Box.

    3. Re:In the spirit of public service... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Humour... Ever heard of it? Get a life, moron.

  13. Re:scientists and researchers only by Hatta · · Score: 3, Funny

    If your pipe is as fat as you say it is, what do you need pr0n for?

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  14. Rural America? by ksemlerK · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Shouldn't getting broadband communication capabilities to rural America be a top priority also? Where I live, I cannot subscribe to DSL due to the poor quality of the telephone lines. Hell, just 4 years ago, the telephone company,(Inland Telephone), changed all the lines from the old aluminum wiring to the "new" copper wire. The fastest I can transfer connect out here is only at 33.6k on a good day. As we speak, I am only connected at 26.4k. I find this assanine, esepecially when I can move 14 miles to town, and have access to DSL, Cable, and WiFi. Out here, the only option for high speed data transfers is sattilite. Far too expensive for me. This should be a major priority if we intend to bring rural america out of the mid-ninteys, and into the 21st century of data transfer speed. Hell, I would be happy if I could connect at just 53k, but I do not think that the monopolistic telephone companies will be upgrading the lines within the next 20 years. After all, the aluminum wiring went out of common usage during the 1970's, when copper wire replaced it. How long am I going to have to wait for 56k capabilities, 40 more years? I will propanbly be dead by then, as that would put me at 65 years old.

    1. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So move into town. It's just not economical to move rural america into the 21st century, and there is no reason to do it. You want to live cheap? Live in rural america. You want to have broadband? Move to the big city.

    2. Re:Rural America? by DakotaK · · Score: 1

      Exactly. I live in rural Nebraska, and you can't get DSL or cable internet if you live more than a couple miles out of town, and our asshole phone company has no apparent plans I'm aware of to extend the lines. A lot of my friends are still stuck on 44k dialup because that's the only choice they have (Slashdotters without broadband...sad), and it kicks them offline worse than AOL. There needs to be an effort of some sort to make broadband avaliable everywhere, at an affordable cost.
      That all being said, it is pretty cool that researchers are getting their own private phat pipe. We can only wonder how much pr0n and MP3s are gonna be traded as well, though.

      --
      I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
    3. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I live in rural Nebraska

      Thankyou, come again.

    4. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Do you hear people whining about not being able to take the bus in rural Nebraska or Alaska? Not able to get good Cantonese food? What about same day shipping from amazon.com?

      You live in the country. Prices are cheap, the air smells good and the views are nice. If you want fast internet, pay for satellite or move. Money should be spent where it will do the most good. In rural area (I am from one) many people don't care about high-speed internet. Spending it on lamba rail, which seems like it will be the prototype for the next phase of the internet, is the best place.

    5. Re:Rural America? by ybmug · · Score: 1

      It's called capitalism. If some communications company were to lay the infrastructure for high speed networking, it would have to be paid for some way or another. The company would either have to charge the rural customers much more for Internet service, or increase the rates of everyone that they provide service to. If they increase everybodies rates they will be less competitive in big cities and will lose large amounts of business (and revenue) because of it. You made the choice to live out in the country and as a consequence you will either not have access to certain things or will have to pay a greater cost to access them.

    6. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      It sounds like you need to make friends with someone in town with cable access and offer to mount a Pringles can on his roof.

    7. Re:Rural America? by Rasta+Prefect · · Score: 1
      I find this assanine, esepecially when I can move 14 miles to town, and have access to DSL, Cable, and WiFi. Out here, the only option for high speed data transfers is sattilite. Far too expensive for me.

      So don't live in the middle of nowhere. Not running new lines out to you in the middle of nowhere has nothing to do with "monopolistic telephone companies", it wouldn't happen in a totally competitive market either, because it's simply not cost effective to rewire every few years for a few customers out in the sticks. The rest of us already subsidize your phone service by way of taxes added onto our phone bill (take a look next time you pay it), why the hell should we pay for you to have all of the benefits of living near civilization without the downsides. Next you'll be complaining because the "Monopolistic Walmart" won't build nearer to your house or that the "Monopolistic Dominos" won't deliver to you. Sheesh.

      --
      Why?
    8. Re:Rural America? by way2trivial · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Why the hell should we worry about the cost for your high speed connection?

      1- PAY THE PREMIUM
      2- MOVE TO TOWN
      3- LIVE WITH CRAPPY DIALUP

      these are your choices.
      I pay taxes, and I own real estate.(well a mortgage)

      If I choose to live in the boonies for lower mortgage costs and lower tax values, I have to give up conveniences like corner coffe shops, and economical internet access..

      Move to new york, and you can have any of a plethora of connection options- including free wifi in places....

      --
      every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
    9. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you an asshole? You sure sound like an asshole.

      Damn but you High-UIDers are worthless. Go back to Fark.

    10. Re:Rural America? by leifm · · Score: 1

      It's not always a rural issue. My old apt couldn't do dialup beyond 28.8, and I couldn't get DSL, and I'm in a fairly suburban area. My current residence is DSL handicapped as well. I do have cable broadband access, but it seems weird that I can't get DSL. Earthlink told me it had something to do with the local loop being fiber instead of copper.

      --

      "Windows Me offers tremendous reliability and stability improvements..." -- Paul Thurott
    11. Re:Rural America? by syukton · · Score: 1

      The population density in rural America is such that it wouldn't be cost effective to deploy broadband services to 4 customers in a 100 square mile area. I think that getting rural American residents to *want* broadband would be the first step. For that to happen though, you have to get them to understand the computer, and maybe even buy one of their very own. (I mean all of them, not the select 4 who will order broadband if it were offered right now)

      You should call up a major cable/DSL provider and see if you can get some raw numbers out of them. Customers per square mile in an urban area, versus suburban, versus rural. Those numbers (if they're available) should illustrate for you why rural residential/community broadband access is not on the agenda of any major broadband provider.

      --
      Reinvent the wheel only at either a lower cost, greater effectiveness, or your own personal enrichment and satisfaction.
    12. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You also already pay a universal connectivity fee to subsidise his service, I think you do enough.

    13. Re:Rural America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what we need, an elitest asshole to correct us. Too bad you didn't have the balls to post your real id.

    14. Re:Rural America? by 12_West · · Score: 1

      There used to be a technology for using two modems on two phone lines together as one connection....I think one was called "shotgun" or some such? If no longer available from the usual Wintel gang sources then maybe there is a Linux / open source solution? Granted a second line costs money but might be much more affordable than satellite and not suffer from the "lag time" of getting data down from a satellite. Anyone have info on any of this? Thanks in advance._BB

  15. Re:scientists and researchers only by penguinoid · · Score: 1

    Microsoft anounces a new sentient computer.

    It does nothing but look at pr0n all day, and was inspirede upon suggestion from ISPs.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  16. For how long? by PierceLabs · · Score: 1

    Hackers and spammers will quickly target the network and find weak accounts and suddenly warez, porn, and spam will cross the net at ridiculous speeds.

    1. Re:For how long? by AndroidCat · · Score: 1
      Even worse: Jerry Pournelle will get on it and brag about it in his column, starting flamewars and tightened access that innocent people were quietly sneaking until then.

      Hey, it happened last time.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  17. MEGA LAN! by Zoshnell · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Oh man, imagine the massive CounterStrike lan those guys have up right now... *drools*

    --
    "Do you suppose that's why God lives in the Heavens? Because he lives in fear of His creations?" - Steve Buscemi
  18. High speed to nowhere? by anti-tech · · Score: 1

    Alright, I have accounts on systems that will be connected to this so now I can find out faster than ever that the system I am trying to use is not available due to dedicated use.

  19. Tax write-off by RealProgrammer · · Score: 1

    The interesting thing to me is that the players in this are either universities, hardware vendors, or ISPs.

    It's easy to see what the universities get out of it (no, it's not just p0rn). But the vendors? Aha! They get to do their R&D and call it a donation to a non-profit. They even get Slashdot to give them publicity for it.

    Clever da5ebf%s^H^H^H^H^H^H ooops, sorry, my aluminum foil slipped off my head for an instant. Now I have to go shower again!

    --
    sigs, as if you care.
  20. Spaceballs Reference by perotbot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Give me Ludicrious speed! ZOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!! My GOD! They've gone to plaid.........

    --
    ~corporate tool, but employed~
  21. "scientists and researchers only" ?linux by jubalj · · Score: 1

    so does "scientists and researchers only" include GNU/linux repositories? traditionally universities tend to have contributors to linux and often host mirrors.

    Imagine, a new distro, once uploaded on one university site, could spread across the country in literally no time at all!

    1. Re:"scientists and researchers only" ?linux by Angram · · Score: 1

      "spread across the country in literally no time at all" (emphasis added)

      Since when can Linux distros violate the laws of physics?

      --

      GL
    2. Re:"scientists and researchers only" ?linux by XipX · · Score: 5, Funny

      Since SCO claimed ownership of physics.

    3. Re:"scientists and researchers only" ?linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By the way people use literally, it will soon switch meanings with figuratively.

  22. Urban America by Angram · · Score: 3, Informative

    You answered your own question: "I can move 14 miles to town, and have access to DSL, Cable, and WiFi"

    The concept of rural is that which is distinguished from the city. While cities are havens for technology, the countryside is for nature. If you want tech, go where tech is, don't get angry because tech won't come to you. It's not cost effective to wire rural areas - isolated household require up to several miles of dedicated lines serving only one customer, which is not cost effective. It would require decades of subscription from you to pay for the lines to your house. This isn't the case in urban/suburban areas where individual houses only require a few dozen feet of cable.

    Oh, and you wouldn't have the internet at all if not for the academics you're trying to fight. If you want a better connection, support the people trying to invent the technology to make it feasible.

    --

    GL
    1. Re:Urban America by twiddlingbits · · Score: 1

      Wire? How about Wireless?? One tower can serve many many subscribers for a not too bad fixed cost per subscriber. I was told by my local phone guy that 1 DSL switch costs over $1M to install and it can't serve that much volume without adding more capability and more $$$. Fixed Point DSL quality wireless was on the way to rural America when the dot-com bust stopped it. Cable Internet might come to some places as it carries the TV Channels/Entertainment content to subsidize the Internet access. But if you live 14 miles from the nearest town then you are going to be waiting a while unless that town in pretty good sized. Here is a suggestion, develop a business case, go to the bank and get a loan for several Million to setup a high speed wireless operation in your part of the nation where you think they want high-speed Internet. Charge what you think the traffic will bear and get to selling. If you are right, you make a fortune. If not, well, firms go bankrupt all the time!

    2. Re:Urban America by Angram · · Score: 1

      I don't think wireless is cost effective either. Towers/antennae have limited ranges. Think about cell phones - coverage is minimal in rural areas because there isn't enough money to be made there. Unless a company knows it will have thousands of customers using the service daily/monthly, they don't put up a tower. If you're 14 miles from anything else, then there's probably no chance of a tower to serve you - it's the same issue as cable lines. The tower itself has to be wired to something, and I don't think it's going to stand 14 miles away (nor is it worthwhile to build such a tower when 99% of the customers live within 5 miles).

      --

      GL
    3. Re:Urban America by twiddlingbits · · Score: 1

      The wireless Internet they were going to put in where I live (rural TX about 30 miles from Dallas) was going to serve an 11 mile radius (Line of Sight) from the tower. I spoke to the local guys who were exploring it as I don't have High speed access either and wanted to subscribe even at $50/mo. They never built it, I guess the base was not there for them to make a profit. However, now there are Rural Telecomm Initiatives where the State/Govt might pay some of the startup expenses. I saw something recently that the USDA was sponsoring something like this for Farmers. If someone wants to look into it, there might be a real business to be made if you already are an ISP and already have a lot of the infrastructure.

  23. Ideal for... by advocate_one · · Score: 1

    Distributed clusters of beowulf clusters anyone??? make one humongous supercluster up when you need it just by linking existing clusters...

    --
    Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  24. Bandwidth, but what about latency? by Ed+Avis · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If this network is to stretch across the USA then no matter how fast it transfers data, there will still be a noticeable latency between one end and the other. The speed of light is not getting any faster. The limiting factor for serving files over NFS, for example, might end up being latency rater than bandwidth or server performance (if CPUs are also getting faster and RAM cheaper).

    Perhaps in the future bandwidth will be an almost infinite resource and protocols will be designed around minimizing latency. For example for a remote filesystem you might design a server that spews out all changes to all files as they happen - to every other host that is looking at the filesystem. The bandwidth cost of sending unnecessary files is not significant, and it means a saving in latency because file data will be immediately available at the client end rather than requiring a round trip. (This assumes you don't care about locking and race conditions - but classical NFS doesn't anyway.)

    Similarly, web servers might be designed to spew forth a whole bunch of pages you might possibly be interested in as soon as you connect to their site, and your browser's job is to cache them and then show the ones you want. If you want a page that isn't in the set the server sent you, you'll need to make another round trip, and that could be the slowest part. We will certainly need something like this for interplanetary web browsing at acceptable speeds.

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    1. Re:Bandwidth, but what about latency? by penguinoid · · Score: 1

      I think we should get several million people to put internet cache on their computers. Then the internet will be closer, so less latency.

      --
      Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    2. Re:Bandwidth, but what about latency? by thedillybar · · Score: 1

      It takes a little over 1/10 of a second for light to travel all the way around the Earth. Sure, this is latency, but nothing stops us from sending MORE light. Thus, it takes the same amount of time for the data to arrive, but we can send 100 times the amount of data in the same time.

      We can dramatically increase the data transfer rate without increasing the speed of light.

    3. Re:Bandwidth, but what about latency? by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1

      That's exactly what I'm saying. You can send huge amounts of data in a given time, but the round-trip time for requesting and getting a particular piece of data has a lower bound set by the speed of light.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    4. Re:Bandwidth, but what about latency? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Having 70mS latency to the furthest point on Earth isn't going to kill us. It probably won't even be "slow" enough for us to start caring about the latency.

      By the time we start to think about interplanetary web browsing, we could probably also think about solid-state 1000TB caches at the planetary link sites. :-)

    5. Re:Bandwidth, but what about latency? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Similarly, web servers might be designed to spew forth a whole bunch of pages you might possibly be interested in as soon as you connect to their site, and your browser's job is to cache them and then show the ones you want.

      FYI: WML works this way. You encode a set of pages into a "stack" and the stack is transmitted to the phone.

    6. Re:Bandwidth, but what about latency? by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1

      0.1s or whatever is fine for web browsing, not so great for remote filesystems (eg grepping a directory full of small files - you'd rather not have a 0.1s delay between each one).

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  25. Access to the network will be intentionally restri by Nagendra · · Score: 1

    Access to the network will be intentionally restricted to scientists and researchers only

    No possiblitly of SPAM atleast as we know it...

    ---

    --
    Operating as VU2CLN somewhere on surface of the earth! :-)
  26. Re:hot or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=GRNYRME&key=RND&tc= 1

    rate tubgirl

  27. PCI Express by kinema · · Score: 1

    Although, if one were using 16 PCI Express lanes they could acheive 4GB/second (thats 32 gigabits per second).

    1. Re:PCI Express by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      With all this, though, you still have to find a network interface that will support this kind of throughput. 10Gb ethernet is just coming out, and at my research lab we've got some 4.3Gb/s SCI SAN hardware. Not like it matters, though...this article is talking about the backbone, not the interface :)

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    2. Re:PCI Express by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its called dWDM - Dense Wave Division Multiplexing. Using that you can push multiple lambdas (which is where the lambda in the name comes from down the fiber) down a single fiber with each lambda carring 10GBits. I think the theortical limit of current fiber tech is around 100GBits but I've been known to be wrong. I'll as my officemate as she is the one taking care of the build in over where I work (yes, we are part of the NLR, and I2, and ETF and so forth).

  28. pr0n? by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 2, Funny
    "Access to the network will be intentionally restricted to scientists and researchers only 'for research and experimentation in networking technologies and applications'."

    I think they mispelled 'pr0n'.

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
  29. Geant movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The european research network (up to 10Gbit/s) has an infomercial at their webpage that is interesting, since all the applications and benefits discussed pretty much applies in the US as well.

  30. Spam, pr0n, and then ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    p2p. And once that happens, how long before the RIAA lawyers force their way onto this network?

  31. Canada is already hooked into Lambda.... by Vaystrem · · Score: 1

    Canada's current equivalent is called CA*Net4
    CANET 4 Home Page

    Link regarding international hookup to CANET 4.
    "CA*net 4 also links to research networks in other countries including Internet 2 in the United States and Geant in Europe and is a partner along with SURFnet in the Netherlands and the STAR LIGHT in Chicago of the International Lambda Grid Testbed." (emphasis added)

    So there you have it, a good portion of Canada's research institutions are are already linked into the Lambda initiative.

  32. I don't get it.... by buddha42 · · Score: 1

    Why not just build this into I2... why make a seperate network for reasearch/whatnot amoung colleges.

  33. I can see it now by bobdotorg · · Score: 3, Funny

    Some poor NSF grant application reviewer will be saying, "WTF is with all of these grad student projects dealing with 'researching and networking simultaneous transfer of multiple large binary multimedia files'. "

    --
    __ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.
  34. Internet2 and Lambdarail are different. by zymano · · Score: 3, Informative
  35. 360 Networks Fiber Backbone by tyrione · · Score: 1

    http://www.360networks.com/Our_Networks.asp

    http://www.360networks.com/Our_Networks---North_ Am erica.asp#

  36. Re:scientists and researchers only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ok this is intranet not internet limited access would be the intranet like what this project is, internet is open access to every one. with that quick definition it seems like only professors get to use this. spam and that will not be easy or economical to get onto this network because it may be fast but the pipe shrinks by the time it gets to you and me. what i want to know is why is there no fiber network for everyone besides universitys yes i do have DSL but that is not enough and the isp is not interested in increasing the bw until it has squeezed every pennie out of me

  37. Re:hot or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're a horrible person, why do you fucking kiddies post shit like that? Jesus christ, get a life.

  38. Sucks for you by squarooticus · · Score: 1

    If you want to pay for the cost of bringing broadband to the cows, go right ahead. I don't want to pay for it: I already pay enough for my house (mortgage, taxes, etc.) and ability to live in a high-demand area, that I don't see any reason why I should help further subsidize your decision to live in cheapville.

    To sum:

    PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!

    Clear enough?

    --
    [ home ]
    1. Re:Sucks for you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lynn is a high demand area? Are you insane? Next time you want to verbally abuse someone, why don't you cover yourself in CD's like your lame ass friend Matt Levine

    2. Re:Sucks for you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Oh yeah, and by the way, nice quote collection on your home page.

      You may note, however, that the original quote says temporal, not temporary, safety.

      All in all though I saw some on your homepage I have never seen. Thanks, added to my collection.

    3. Re:Sucks for you by squarooticus · · Score: 1

      My house (4BR, 2BA, 1900 sq. feet) would cost $50,000 in the sticks. I paid $275,000 for it. In comparison, my area is high-demand.

      --
      [ home ]
    4. Re:Sucks for you by wtansill · · Score: 1
      To sum: PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!
      Hmmm -- well said. OTOH, you know all those road/rail and mass transit subsidies that make it possible for you to live in the city? Let's get rid of them and you can

      "PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!"

      Clear enough?
      --
      The contest for ages has been to rescue liberty from the grasp of executive power. -- Daniel Webster
    5. Re:Sucks for you by squarooticus · · Score: 1

      : "PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR
      : IT YOURSELF! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!"

      : Clear enough?

      I can't agree more. Unfortunately, the state government insists on distributing the cost to those who don't use these resources.

      If it makes you feel any better, I guarantee you I'm paying more than my fair share for the public resources I use, tax rates being what they are and all.

      As a final note, never underestimate a libertarian's desire to stop benefitting unfairly from the productivity of others.

      --
      [ home ]
  39. hmm by ShadowRage · · Score: 1

    sounds a lot like how the original internet started out.
    hopefully this will stay as something for the scientists only.

  40. So.. E-mail traffic in 2010 is taken care of. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At least for universities.
    I hope they plan on putting in an infrastructure
    for other data.

    Seriously though. Did you know that if you send a 10megabyte file to the wrong address at AOL, the server sends you an error message WITH THE TEN
    MEGABYTE FILE AS AN INLINE ATTACHMENT!

    If you've ever wondered why your paths to slashdot
    are slow on a sunday morning, blame AOL. And every
    other moron sysadmin out there who sends a copy
    of the damn thing back instead of a 4Kb message
    "no addressee by that name here"

    Black hole the shit!

    F-n Dickheads!

  41. Why Yet Another High Speed Research Network? by Crypto+Gnome · · Score: 3, Informative

    From what I can understand (amongst all the blurb) this LambdaRail is all about a complete network of (lots-and-lots-of) switched 10Gbps Lambdas (optical wavelengths). So at any point you can dedicate N Lambdas to a particular use and guarantee (at a physical/optical level) bandwidth/latency/QoS.

    Specifically, absolutely unconditionally zero impact to any other data transmissions across the network because these transmissions are actually physically (ie optically) seperate and distinct transmissions.

    In short, if we could literally segment a 'slice' off the network and isolate it from everything else running around, what would/could we do with it?

    Internet2 is a completely different concept.

    All the data is transmitted across one network (ie not guaranteed via 'optical separation'; ie 'just like The Internet Today, only much faster') and researching how to route/switch/filter a trillion-zillion packets with minimal latency/guaranteed QoS/additional application-specific functionality and then given those network-abilities researching how to manage that network and what new uses you can apply to that network.With (apparently) the specific intention of eventually, one day, before-the-heat-death-of-the-universe, rolling out said network and enhanced functionality to "the real world/the rest of us humans".

    --
    Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
  42. Re:hot or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    THough I have seen it before (Oh the horribleness of rotten.com), my life would have been better having not clicked the aforementioned link. I sure learned my lesson.

  43. For all of you who didn't know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nation wide means US wide.

  44. This one's not a flame... by temojen · · Score: 1

    Why wait for someone else to bring you broadband? Why not build it yourself? Get together with your neighbours and form a cooperative to bring in the line, then set up wifi repeaters with yagi antennas for the last mile.

    Try googleing for terms like "rural 802.11 cooperative".

  45. You've been playing too much when... by bersl2 · · Score: 1

    "Well, slap me silly and call me Gordon Freeman!"